Raft AI CEO Shubhi Mishra described the test as unprecedented. “We haven’t seen our enemies test any similar technology, so I think this is groundbreaking,” she told Fox News Digital.
The system is designed to reduce pilot response times from minutes to seconds by providing one-to-one support, unlike human air battle managers who assist several pilots at once. “In the air battle manager’s case, it’s not a one-to-one ratio: one air battle manager is helping several pilots,” Mishra explained. “The autonomous agent we built is one-to-one, at the beck and call of each pilot.”
Mishra also suggested the system could improve aviation safety beyond the battlefield. “If the FAA had this technology, that never would have happened,” she said, referring to a collision earlier this year between a regional airliner and a Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport.
During the test, pilots confirmed mission progress with Starsage, which cross-checked their reports with its sensor feed and the Air Tasking Order before verifying that the required aircraft were airborne. Later, when pilots asked for a threat assessment, the AI delivered a “picture call,” identifying a heavy group of five adversary aircraft — the first instance of AI providing real-time tactical awareness in the air.
As defence leaders debate the future role of human pilots, Mishra stressed the need for balance. “If it’s a life-or-death decision, humans should always be in the loop,” she said. “But in terms of the technology being capable of doing this, I think it’s already here. The question is, do we let it?”
Source: Fox News.
